Catalyst chamber closure



April 27, 1948. v w, CREEL 2,440,436

CATALYST CHAMBER CLOSURE Filed Jan. 24, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INLET CONDUIT cAsINc 34 COVER PLATE 26 36 32 38 42 I SUPPORTING VANE I 44 4o INsuLATIoN 48 0 46 PERFORATED 24 28 DISTRIBUTOR 00 3o PLATE 1 W A l4 CATALYST CATALYST CASE n. CATALYST v I /////Z;//////// 44 l4 l6 4 2O 22 OUTLET INVENTOR. WJ-LCREEL.

ATTORNEYS April 27, 1948. w. H. CREEL 2,440,436

CATALYST CHAMBER CLOSURE Filed Jan. 24, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 CATALYST CASE FIG. 2

INVENTOR. W. H. CREEL AT TORNEYS Patented Apr. 27, 1948 to Phillips Not-Delaware.

enarti iiueaii Petroleum. Gompanwaaccnpotation ssisn o i-ainzi'mprcvedf chfiniber 'i Ihis inventionirelates. vand closure-therefor. I I I itrelates toi at combirictihictiandim orahieiclcsate iorzacataiyst c amber.

usetoffibodiestcfisilidfieontact inatefialttb' treat fluids of many'kinds is' well known. I Anrong thee-most ;imporfiantttcrnmerciaitpidcessesirare? to be'rcund those zinvoivingtiie titeaitriientwf r d-ro- ,Such

carbons sand mther r'ii-gahic mate ials.

treatments may ibe pfiysica owcrieniitairinfina- 'turepori-lioth. E ttieepurposvofiilustrati gea preferred embodimentstlie presentaiiveutid hydrocarbons. .Appli-catfohaotttiieisaniekchanibr the Mamieeonveie omtnayaretsesaestat ,deiayebetweeniheatingaiidficontacting iwith cata- -iysa ermitsfsucmntieeatamicimitnemiar crack- 'in'g'to proceed itct a'suhstaiitiareicterit. .1" n itany instances thisisaiindsirabietdifeituprfidu t is: aprodu'ctsidifiefefittrcmthcsczfesiiltiifgifro the cataI-ytic reaction,-cianiieafsmdiie to coking with consequentplug'glngandfouiingitii. tfaiisfr liiisa andvother'cqiiipnient. I

.*It'isianiobject' oritheipfsehtinvntiorr toiiitcwide-1a structureeadapt'eii" fonei'auirigviheated fe- Factantsfiintoxa:catalis mhiimtier fiirfiihiitedia'te contact herein. -hiiother "clifect ot the inventionrisito riioiudessuehia structure Tin the form'of a refiiotable phfg whichlby tifsue mu fa'cilitates' ifilli'rig. and efiifittirigicliaiiitiersibtathe catalyst. Yet another object is to provideffifliiitl inlt fleaiisidatpta tc en t even distribution or fluids over a large area of the catalyst mass. A still further object is to provide an insulated fluid inlet means and distributing means. Yet a further object is to provide a catalyst chamber and combined plug-inlet structure capable of attaining the foregoing objecm and having high structural strength. Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent, to one skilled in the art, from the accompanying disclosure and discussion.

fTiieznrawings fli'fiwircneehfaferredwm diligent 'otniynncenticn. :Fig'ure l'g-is'mtpat ia -l Act; may memimsme elevatibnzcf a:catalystnchamherewith its combined head and inlet means. Figur 2 i-is =5: aaipiimi-mewurcfizthetsameh'lookingq downward on QD- t i 53in theid-rawing :twheretlikenumerals re 'cm: plcyedztordestgnate f-iikezpartsisa eataiystgcase isiishown comprisingfianrouterpsshell t2; anrinner 10 flinch Jacobean-insul ting material a S i-inane "tsifiace therebetween; iriif'ldesired; the insuiati g inat rial imayi'i bet-made:cfgaselfsupportingteexnent,-: suchzias, ff lnsulcrlete, Insul g. -:i. I rehactcrnmateria :wlrerebyqthe inner 11131511 miayehe vtrlisnenseti itT -V'aItmAether, 'Iihezchem- -"herwilhconfiainstaitbe51? ct: 'cataiyst ii 8. :Thecata- "ly'st isxsuppc irtccl by ':tli;ei;bottwn;.=:of.;:the:chamber andgbyzthe'screensqswhicmmotectsthe:fimdnnu tiet'iz fromzi stoppage:by:catalyst Earticies. catalyst bed extendsrat aheitppaintqrzclgse {proximitygaorracontac withctlie-convexiperforateriidis- ,tributcn-zplatezwhich *formstanparttof itherirrlet head structure. otcthisiinvexiticn. In: addition to the r.c'zon.v e'xrsdistributorgplate, tithe :s'tructuremozm res-muses" nnnlett-chnduit l fiztenninatingt'atits-inner neriphery forming Ia asinallsi space fitfl -tthrqiigh which fluidmreactantsipn:regeneratiom ases' flow mprioratorpassing thrcughzthe nerforationsrorzivlete 24 into contact with the catalyst. This particu- -lar;;?'structureirinsnresyga: minimum time; tin ,Z-between intrbducticn -o not -fluids aby means r'Of rinvlet ieonduit r 25 :amiuth rccntact': nix-such ifiuids withrtctttalystsiand y etr he ffiuidsiarezfcausedeto enter themeatalyst hedyoiierfa*iarge upper surface to insure adequate and uniform distributi'cnzinto she-catalyst. i 511111181; wcndnit zfiisi's; eurroundedxf-bytanz outer go ytublflair teasing Z I hichgzsis somewhat fs'hcrter sniczinduitpit, ifhe lattemismicined.tmcasin 1 thciilnnemnd .each and ;the;tt rh;o1e:isipi:o- -ilidedwithjarfillitahhgfljahgc "341g: connection; to qtherso ofihct' fluids. I flqnrmctedztouthe hottcmici-rcasin'gifleis an annular-convenicovenpiate 36 which, as shown in the drawing, curves outwardly and upwardly from its connection with tube 32 and terminates in a substantially cylindrlcally shaped skirt portion. Radial vanes 38 form a supporting interconnection between casing 32 and convex plate 36. Connecting the outer edges of distributor plate 24 and horizontal plate 28 with the outer portion of the structure is an annular frustro-conical shell member 40 This is attached to cover plate 38, or to the flange 42 which serves to join the entire structure with the catalyst case ID by suitable connection with flange 44 attached to the case l0. Corresponding to shell member 40 is a similar member 46 of cata- The head-inlet structure is internally insulated by material 48, which may be asbestos, Sil-O- J Cel," or any other of the known insulating materials. This insulation fills the space between cover plate 36, plate 28 and shel140','as"well as" the annular space between inner conduit 26 and outer casing 32. By virtue of the structure of the catalyst chamber head allowing for its internalinsulation in this manner, it will be apparent that practically no loss in temperature is experienced by the hot gases flowing-into conduit 26, and that they begin passage through the bed of catalyst almost ints'antaneously. Accordingly, thereis no opportunity for 'appreciable thermal cracking to occur j" The particular structure described makes the filling and emptying of the catalyst case very simple. The bolts or other means holding flange 42 to flange 44 are loosened, the entire head is removed, and catalyst is withdrawn by any suitable'means: Ordinarily the head is at. the top of the chamber and'a. suction tubeis employed for withdrawing the used catalyst. Fresh catalyst is pouredinto the large opening and the. head then replaced; The head may also be at the side or bottom of the chamber, and catalyst may-be dumped out by suction or by tilting the chamber inthe one case, or merely by pullingithe' plu from the bottom and allowing catalyst to run out. The latter requires anadditional filling opening in the upper part of the chamber,

"In the cracking of hydrocarbons or other high temperature conversions of organic materials, carbonaceous materialaccumulates on the catalyst after period of use, and the catalyst is regenerated by passing a stream of hotoxygen-containing gas through the catalyst bed. This gas may be introduced either through the inlet conduit 26 or it may be passed through in a direction opposite to'the'zfiow'of reactants by entering through conduit 22 and exiting-through conduit26. i

It willbe obvious that'the structure described herein may be used not only for catalytic crackmg of hydrocarbons, but likewise for many other treatments :of fluids with solids, particularly "thosecarried out at high temperatures. l ,I'claimz' Q i 1. A combination inlet and closure structure for a catalyst case or the like comprising an inlet conduit forming a central vertical" axis for the structure, a concentric casing tube around all said inlet conduit except the lower end thereof and joined to' the upper end thereof, radial supporting vanes extending outwardly-from said casing in planes passing through the axis-of the 'structure, a convex plate extending outwardly and upwardly from the edge of the lower end of said casing and supported by said vanes along its upper surface, a horizontal circular plate extending outwardly from the lower end of said inlet conduit, an inverted frustro-conical annular shell connecting the outer edge of said horizontal plate withfsaid'convex plate, heat insulating material filling the space bounded by said inlet conduit, casing, convex plate, shell and horizontal plate, and a convex perforated distributor plate attached to the outer edge of said horizontal plate adapted toallow flow of incoming fluid from said *inlet through the perforations of said distributor plate. 1

2. A catalyst chamber inlet and head comprising an inlet structure in the shape of an inverted mushroom, the lower convex portion thereof being perforated, an annular shell attached to the outer edge of said portion, said shell being inverted frusto-conicalin shape and extending upwardly from saidedge and adapted to seat .in a corresponding opening in the catalyst chamber, and heat-insulating material filling the space formed between said shell and said inlet structure. m -i- 3-. In combination, a catalyst chamber comprising an inner shell-and an outer shell; heatinsulatingmaterlal in the :space between said shells, at frustro-conical'shaped ring connectin said'innerand outer shells and formingaecircular, opening in saidchamber; a plug'einlet structure adapted to seatin'said opening comprising a frustro-conical annular shell corresponding to said opening, a convex perforated. inlet plateclosing the inner end of-said shell; a convex outer casing with a substantially cylindricalskirtof diameter intermediate'the minimum and maximum diameters of said shell and attached to .the outer edge of said shell, "an outer tube fittinginto a central openingin said casing, an inner tube within said outer :tube' fastened thereto along the free edge thereof, .acircular plate connecting the edge of the inner end of said inner tube with the outer edge of said convex perforated inlet plate forming a' space between the two said plates-continuous with the interior of'said inner tube, heat-insulating material filling the void between said shell, casing, outer tube, inner tube and circular-plate, radial supporting vanes attached to said'outer tube and said outer casing, a flange attached to and around said outer casing and said frustro-conical shell; means on the outer shell ofsaid catalyst chamber around the opening therein adapted to cooperate with said flange to hold said plug-inlet structure in place; a body of catalyst within said catalyst chamber. extending substantially into contact with said convex perforated'inlet plate;:the whole being arranged so that'fluid introduced through said inner tube passes therefrom through "said space betweensaid plates and through said erforated plate immediately. into contact with-"said catalyst.-. I a V l V y N a V 7 WILLIAM HUNT CREEL. 

